Simple ways your home can help climate change

Having found a place to call home, the first thing we do is want to enjoy it. This often starts with creating a home that is liveable. When thinking about renovating, adding sustainable design elements will minimise your home’s environmental impact and protect it from the effects of climate change. Even those confined to a small living space can make simple design changes that can maximise the look and feel of any living space.  As consumers, we don’t realise how much power we have to change the way products are designed. Through our purchasing habits we can demand better quality and more sustainable products. Take the effort to inquire if an environmentally friendly product is available. This will help inform companies decide what goods to provide.   

Design with sustainably sourced or certified products in mind

When building a home, look to build one that lasts. By building a home that is longer-lasting it means lower maintenance costs and less up-keep. Not only, choosing durable and reclaimed materials will lower waste. An added bonus in reducing landfills. 

When buying wood products, look for certified wood that has been sustainably sourced. Wood products such as bamboo and cork are sustainable and environmentally friendly, as they are fast growing products and sustainably harvested. Another benefit of using sustainable building materials is they emits fewer toxins. A healthier home means a healthier you. 

Buy local

Local products are more sustainable because they eliminate the cost and energy consumption that goes into transporting goods. These goods often need to be produced, shipped over long distances and then delivered, adding to carbon emissions. In buying locally-made products when renovating a home, you support local manufacturers and the community. 

Energy efficient homes reduce energy consumed

Creating a sustainable home means being smart in directing the natural light flowing into your home so you don’t need to depend on artificial lighting and home appliances to provide comfort. Designing a home around natural light will conserve energy and improve your home’s look and feel. Where you need to include artificial lighting, save on future power bills by replacing traditional lighting bulbs with LED. LED will save you on electricity bills as they are longer lasting and don’t need frequent replacing. For more home improvement suggestions, read our article.

Breathe in fresh air indoors and outdoors

A garden oasis can offer you shade on a hot summer’s day and peaceful tranquillity that adds value to your home. Indoor greenery provides shade, cooling and can help regulate humidity reducing the need to use air conditioning. If you don’t have a natural green thumb or have limited sunlight, succulents are a great starting plant. Remember, you still need to water them but don’t over water them. 

Reduce household waste and landfill

A small investment in a home compost system will pay dividends in reducing your home’s food waste and landfill contribution. A home compost system will repurpose your household waste into a natural fertiliser that can be used on a veggie patch. Depending on your household’s waste, it pays to do some research when choosing a compost system. Some options are better suited to homes that have larger food waste issues and space to churn food waste. If you live in an apartment, a worm farm may be more suited to your living space. 

All these simple home improvements can help preserve our existing materials, reduce our energy usage and landfill waste. Breathe new life into your home and look at how you can reduce your home’s impact on our climate and planet.